"Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare."
-Audre Lorde, self described "black lesbian feminist mother warrior poet"
Self-care is a very trendy buzzword these days. It evokes images of manicures, bubble baths with a glass of wine, a massage, and shopping sprees.
We've entered the golden hour of summer, that fleeting but magical time when summer is coming to a close but it's not quite fall. The days are still warm, but getting a little shorter, gardens are abundant with veggies, and there's a bit of change in the air.
This is also the traditional transition of "back to school" but like last year, we know there is nothing traditional about it this year.
I've heard from many of you that you're feeling overwhelmed, lonely, down, or running on empty. We are dealing with all of our normal stressors plus the stress, illness, grief, and uncertainty of a global pandemic. Yoga can provide both a perspective on our mental health and the tools to work with our emotions. The 3 gunas (or qualities of nature) in yoga offer a yogic approach to understanding our emotional state.
Nadi Shodhana or alternate nostril breathing, is a pranayam or breathing technique used to balance energy in the body. Prana, energy, flows through different energy channels called nadis. The main nadi on the left side of the body is called the Ida and the one on the right is the Pingala. The energy on the left flows downward, is governed by the moon and can calm and ground us. On the right, the energy moves upward and is activating, governed by the sun.
Here in Michigan we are always eager for spring. You see it in the people wearing shorts and sandals as soon as it hits 60 (not me!) or the uptick of cyclists on the street (I was always riding!) but sometimes we're so eager that we overdo it, we don't give time for the growth and change that is so important to spring, to happen.
With the current global pandemic, and so much uncertainty, many of our routines have gotten flipped upside down or totally thrown out the window. It can be helpful, even essential, to be able to create rituals that help us process and make meaning out of what we're experiencing. This is not to say that rituals make everything rosy and happy. I think it is especially essential right now to have rituals that safely allow us to FEEL ALL of our emotions, all of the uncertainty and grief and loss. Rituals that allow us to SIT with what IS and not feel pressured to do more.
INTENTION. MEANING.
This is the second part of my series on the importance of routine during stressful and uncertain times. Part 1 discussed adapting routine and habits (called samskaras in yoga) using abhyasa and vairagya (persevering practice and non-attachment). Here, I want to discuss the importance of simplicity and consistency. The more we can simplify and create consistency, the more we can strengthen our nervous system and build resiliency.
